Google Earth, the interactive digital globe known for its sweeping satellite views and exquisite 3D flyovers, is turning 20 years old this month. To celebrate two decades of helping people explore every corner of the planet, from their childhood street to the top of Mount Everest, Google is launching new features aimed at both everyday users and professionals alike.
Since its launch in 2005, Google Earth has been used as a visual storytelling tool, a geography educator and an emotional time capsule. In the last year, people turned to Google Earth to search for places more than 2 billion times, according to Google, showing Earth’s virtual twin still seems to have plenty to offer, even two decades in and counting. I myself love to use Google Earth when my friends or family travel, like when my sister just took a birthday trip to the Napa Valley, so I can simulate their trip with them (if I can’t go physically and enjoy fabulous wine, I may as well «go» virtually and see the stunning views).
«Over the past two decades, people have used it to build more resilient cities, stronger communities and a healthier planet,» Yael Maguire, general manager of Google Maps Platform and Google Earth, wrote in the blog post released Tuesday.
Below, I’ll break down new features coming to Google Earth, and take a look back at some highlights and milestones of the platform since 2005.
Two new features coming to Google Earth
A time machine for your neighborhood
One of the most expansive updates arriving is historical Street View imagery directly in Google Earth. This feature will let people rewind time to see how places have changed over the years. For instance, you can see a city block before it was gentrified or a skyline before a building boom.
The feature was inspired in part by the viral hashtag #somewhereonGoogleMaps, where people on social media have shared emotionally resonant discoveries, such as spotting long-gone relatives or childhood homes in older Street View imagery. (I am personally loving this feature since I’ve been able to look up my mom’s childhood home in Virginia and share the imagery with her and my aunt.)
Google previously offered this capability in Google Maps, but the move to Google Earth makes it more immersive and accessible.
AI tools for climate and city planning
Beyond personal nostalgia, Google Earth is also adding new tools for professionals, such as city planners. In the coming weeks, US-based users will get access to AI-driven insights about the planet’s surface, starting with urban tree canopy coverage and land surface temperature.
For example, people in Austin, Texas, can pull up a map showing where tree cover is thickest or where urban heat islands might be forming. The idea is to help urban planners, local governments and researchers make more informed decisions about everything from public health to infrastructure investment. This can also help local residents make more informed decisions about where to move or build within a city.
These insights build on the Earth Engine platform, which has already been used for tracking deforestation, monitoring water use and planning solar installations.
A look back at 20 years of Earth exploration
To mark the occasion, Google also shared a retrospective of some of its favorite moments from the past two decades. Highlights include:
- The 2006 launch of Street View, bringing real-world ground-level imagery to virtual maps.
- The introduction of 3D buildings, which lets you swoop through cityscapes like digital pilots.
- Collaborations with scientists and nonprofits to map endangered species habitats and track climate change. For instance, scientists used Google Earth in 2010 to identify caves and fossil sites in satellite imagery that aided in the discovery of an entirely new hominid species.
- A refresh of Google Earth Timelapse in 2017 with 24 million satellite images spanning 35 years, creating a comprehensive view of our planet’s changing surface (now available as an interactive 4D experience).
Google Earth says it sees even more potential ahead, through AI enhancements and a growing collection of imagery and data.
